Bolt-retaining device



G. B. THOMAS.

BOLT RETAINING DEVICEA APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. |920 Patented Sept. 12, 1922.,

/Nl/ENTOR GEORGE B. THo/v/HS J Y B' ATTORNEYS IPatented Sept. iz, 1922.

' stares narran GEORGE B. THOMAS, or ELECTRIC COMPANY, NECTICUT.

Application L T o all wlwm z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE B. THoM'As, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Bridgeport, in the county o f Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have mvented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Bolt-Retaining- Devices, of which the following is a specification, E U

My invention relates to retaining devices, and particularly to a retainingwashendevice by 'which a screw bolt may be freely held assembled with an associated member through which it passes. The object of my invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient device for this purpose, which is not only of improved construction per se, but also affords greater'longitudinal play for the bolt than has heretofore beenprovided. x

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective of an electrical fitting of a type l'to which the invention is applicable;

Fig. 2 is a. vertical section therethrough illustratin the invention applied to the bolts whic secure the cap and body of the fitting together,

Figs. 3 and 4l arevertical sections through portion ofthe ittingshowing the manner `(tflapplication of the retaining device tothe Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views showing a modified form lof retaining device; l

Fig. 7 is a broken perspective `of one form of retaining device;

Fig. of retaining device; and Y Fig. 9 is a vertical section illustrating the usual type of retaining device now commonly employed.

While the invention provides a device which is applicable to many different utilities, I have illustrated it in aform designed particularly forelectrical devices. As an` example of the latter I have shown a receptacle havng'a two part casing of insulating material and comprisin a bod 10 and cap 11 united by screw bo ts 12.

device of this type, "the lead wires are 50 brought into the cap through the end. hole .13 and their bared ends connected to the binding screws 14, of

which one 1s shown in f Fig.` 2. To permit this wiring pf the device, the cap 11 must be-detached from the body A 10-by freeing the bolts 12 from the plates j 8 1s a perspective of a second form ing n a' j man? Param" easier..

f BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOIt TO TH BRYANT v OF BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION QF CON- BoL'r-nErAININe nEvvICE led June 2 9, 1920. Serial No. 392,830.'

15 carried by `the`cap, and into which also the blnding screws 14 take. Consequently when so separated, the bolts 1 2 are loose in the holes 16 i'n the body through which they pass, and wouldffall out were not some retamlng device provided to hold 'them assembled m the body and to prevent their escape. t The usual manner of accomplishing-this 1s shown in Fig. 9, that is to sayby slipping over the end of the bolt a split spring washer 17 which engages the threaded end 18 of the bolt. While this prevents the escape \of the bolt, there is an objection to its use. Inorder to insure the security of the washer on the threaded end of the Ibolt, it must be ar' 70 ranged so far up on the shank that the endV of the latter projects beyond the bearing face 19 of the body piece, even when the bolt 1s pushed out as far latter feature .is one of particular danger,

since the porcelain 1s apt to be cracked or completely ruptured and the fitting rendered u'niit for service. T-he onl way in which this objectional strain can' e'av'oided is by screwing up one bolt partially, then the other, and repeating this alternate tightening of the bolts until both are screwedI homea tedious and inconvenient practice not cus# tomarily followed by the average Workman.

The present invention obviates this difculty by providing aretaining device which permits the projecting end of the bolt to rise freely in the hole 16, through which it passes, -so that not only may the body and' cap be freely seated against each other, and'v v the bolts and taps brought into alignment before either bolt is applied, but one .bolt may be freely screwed home without impos.

any undesirable strains on the porcelain or disturbing the alignment of the bolts and their taps.

In the particular `embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 2, 3, 4. and 7 the V device comprises a washer having a peripheral bearing flange 20 and an engaging web 21 perforated -at 22 to accommodate -the shank ofthe bolt. As here shown, the; 110

threaded area .of the bolt is the bod'y of slightly greater diameter than the shank, and thus forms av shoulder 23 which, with the bolt head 24, limits the play of the bolt with relation to the retaining washer. To arrange the washer on the boltand secure it in the Well 25 which accommodates the head 24: of the bolt, the washer is made in the form shown in Fig. 7, that is to say, with its engaging web 21 dished or'coned and its bearing flange inclined. The normal diameter ofthe hole 22 is large enough to 'permit the washerto be Apassed over the threaded end of the bolt. rlhe bolt is then inserted into the hole 16 until the washer, lying beneath the bolt head, rests against the bottom of the well 25, as shown in Fig. 3. The body 10.

being-supported upon a table 26,. a press plunger 27 descends upon the head of the bolt and forces the latter downward, with the result that the coned web 21 is flattened out, the hole 22 reduced to a diameter less than that of the shoulder 23, and the liange 20 pressed into frictional engagement with the wall of the well 25. lnasmuch as the diameter of the well 'fis-predetermined, as well as the diameter of the retaining washer with relation thereto, frictional engagement of sucient strength to meet the demands on the. device may be readily obtained. Still greater latitude is possible if the washer is split, and this is desirable when variations in the porcelain are considerable.

lt is obvious that by arranging the washer in the bottom of the well for the bolt head the shank of the bolt may rise freely within 10 until the threaded end is completely housed, with the attendant advantages above mentioned.

ln Figs. 5, 6 and 8 llvhave shown a modified construction for the washer, which is adapted for use when the well v25 in the porcelain body has an undercut wall, or

when thebodyis made of an insulating material which the ed e of the washer can penetrate. lln this orm the washer 28 is merely dished, and when the press plunger 27 descends and the washer expands, its edges dig into the relatively soft insulating material as shown in F ig. 6. Simultaneously, the dieter of the hole 22 is decreased suiiiciently to .engage the shoulder 23 on the bolt and prevent its escape.

Various modifications of construction vill readily occur to those dea with the problem. -The underlying thought of my invention is to provide some bolt retainin device adapted to be secured to the body t rough which the bolt paes, and of such character that Vthe projecting threaded end of the bolt iaaepiiv may rise into the body for the purpose described. While particularly desirable in electrical fittings of various types, it is equally applicable to devices in other fields of art.

ll claim- 1. A body pierced to accommodate a securing bolt, a bolt passing therethrough, yand means in gripping engagement with the wall of the hole through which the bolt passes and engaging said bolt to retain the same assembled with limited freedom of displacement of the bolt with relation to said body.

2. A body pierced to accommodate a securing shoulder `means on said bolt spaced fromthe head of the bolt, a retaining device freely engaged between the head and shoulder on the bolt, and said retaining device having a self-sustained engagement with said body td maintain said parts assembled.

3. A body pierced to accommodate1 a securing bolt, a bolt passing therethrough, shoulder means on said bolt spaced from the head of the bolt, a retaining device freely engaged betweenthe head and shoulder on the bolt, said retaining device having a direct mechanical engagement with the wall of the hole t rough said body to nfaintain the parts asse bled.

4. A body pierced to accommodate a securing bolt, a bolt passing therethrough and having a head and a threaded area spaced therefrom by a shank of less diameter than the over-all diameter of the threaded area, and a bolt retaining/device arranged on said shank and expanded into direct mechanical engagement with the wall of the holey in said body through which the boltpasses.

5. A body pierced to accommodate a bolt in combination .with a bolt-retaining member insertable with the bolt into the hole in said body and deformable into selffsustaining engagement with' the wall of said hole, sald member in4 inserted position having aA lost motion detaining engagement with the bolt for the purpose described.

'6. F or use with a body pierced to accommodate a bolt having an abutment spaced from its head, a bolt retaining device normally passing freely upon the bolt shank, but deformable into detaining engagement between the bolt head andthe abutment on its shank, and also into ment with' the wall of which the bolt passes.

ln testimony whereof li have name to this specication.

GEOYRGE B. THUMAS.

the holethrough signed my bolt, a bolt passing therethrough,

lil@

lll@

gripping engagelllt5 

